My husband and I were headed down the mountain after a whirlwind 48 hours at girls camp.
We were hungry and we wanted some alone time to talk about the highs and lows we’d experienced over the last two days.
Just as we popped open the tailgate and pulled out the ice chest, a man walked over.
I had lots of thoughts.
This man hadn’t shower or changed his clothes in a long time.
He was going to ask for money.
He was going to bother us while we were trying to eat.
Not gonna lie, I was annoyed.
Then I thought about the book I was currently reading.
The book was explaining the two ways we can see other people.
PEOPLE or OBJECTS.
When see people as objects we assume they want something from us. We’re focused on what we can gain from them. If we can’t use them in some way, we view them as useless. We often get frustrated and annoyed if their agenda is different from ours.
When we see others as PEOPLE, we see them as lovable human beings. We value them and what they have to say. We listen to them and we allow them to be our teachers. We see the infinite worthiness they possess, and we choose to feel love toward them.
I decided to do an experiment.
What if I saw him as a person?
My mind offered more thoughts.
“But I really wanted to sit here and quietly watch the sun go down.”
“I really wanted to be alone with Todd.”
“He probably isn’t safe.”
I checked in with myself and I didn’t feel unsafe at all.
Todd handed the man some food and I quieted the thoughts in my mind.
The man told us his name was William. He told us he’d lived in northern Arizona for the past 15 years. He told us how lucky he was to find find a quarter on the street that day.
I took some time to look at him. I studied his face, his arms, and his hands. It was obvious he’d spent a lot of time in the sun. It was obvious he didn’t have all the comforts of life I was used to. His life probably wasn’t easy.
Looking at William reminded me of what I knew about Jesus.
My desire to see William as a person grew deeper.
Jesus wouldn’t have felt inconvenienced by him.
Jesus wouldn’t have felt scared or annoyed by him.
My heart softened, and I felt an interesting kind of love for him.
During the rest of the drive home I thought about how much better my life would be if I could see everyone the way I saw William.
I thought about the people in my life who I objectify.
I thought about what I might do different if I wanted to change.
I have a long way to go. I’m still a human being living the full human experience. I have lots of obstacles and lots of shortcomings.
But I’m learning. I’m doing my work . I’m showing up and progressing every day.
I’m on the path to becoming someone who sees people like Jesus sees them.
If you want a great read, you should download The Anatomy Of Peace, by Arbinger.
If you want personal, one on one help seeing others as PEOPLE, let’s talk.
photo by Guduru Ajay bhargav
